New York City Legionnaires cluster up to 18 cases, 1 death reported

The number of cases of Legionnaires' Disease in a cluster in Upper Manhattan has risen to 18, including one fatality, health officials said Tuesday.

Seven people remain hospitalized following the outbreak in Lower Washington Heights and Upper Hamilton Heights. The person who died has not been identified but is said to be older than 50 with underlying medical conditions.

All suspect cooling towers have been cleaned, and pending final test results, officials believe the cluster has been contained.

Anyone in the area with flu-like symptoms should see a doctor immediately.

"While most people exposed to Legionella don't get sick, individuals ages 50 and above, especially those who smoke and have chronic lung conditions, are at a higher risk," Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said. "This disease is very treatable with antibiotics. I encourage anyone with symptoms of Legionnaires' disease to seek care early."

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia that is caused by the bacteria Legionella, which grows in warm water. Symptoms resemble other types of pneumonia and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough. Most cases of Legionnaires' disease can be traced to plumbing systems where conditions are favorable for Legionella growth, such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, hot tubs, humidifiers, hot water tanks, and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems.